The Mind Creative
So Ulthar went to sleep in vain anger; and when the people awaked
at dawn—behold! every cat was back at his accustomed hearth!
Large and small, black, grey, striped, yellow, and white, none was
missing. Very sleek and fat did the cats appear, and sonorous with
purring content. The citizens talked with one another of the affair,
and marvelled not a little. Old Kranon again insisted that it was
the dark folk who had taken them, since cats did not return alive
from the cottage of the ancient man and his wife. But all agreed
on one thing: that the refusal of all the cats to eat their portions
of meat or drink their saucers of milk was exceedingly curious.
And for two whole days the sleek, lazy cats of Ulthar would touch
no food, but only doze by the fire or in the sun.
It was fully a week before the villagers noticed that no lights were
appearing at dusk in the windows of the cottage under the trees.
Then the lean Nith remarked that no one had seen the old man
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